The EI Podcast

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Rob Johnson on Basil Liddell Hart, alchemist of war Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

Having witnessed first-hand the mechanised onslaught of the Great War, Captain Basil Liddell Hart sought a philosophy of warfare based on the prudent use of technology, psychology and deception – and the avoidance of the 'total war' catastrophes of preceding decades. Read by Sebastian Brown.
Image: A picture of Basil Henry Liddell Hart studying a tactical situation in 1947. Credit: Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images

Kori Schake on US grand strategy Sep 06, 2024

Show notes

The US must adopt a grand strategy of democratic expansion. Only then can global security be established. Read by Helen Lloyd.
Image: American Second World War-era poster. Credit: Mouseion Archives / Alamy Stock Photo

The search for a promised land with Rachel Cockerell Sep 05, 2024

Show notes

EI's Alastair Benn speaks to Rachel Cockerell, author of Melting Point: Family, Memory and the Search for a Promised Land, a history of the quest for a Jewish homeland at the turn of the 19th century and beyond, weaving memoir, documentary, and literature.
Engelsberg Ideas is funded by the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit. EI Talks... is hosted by Paul Lay and Alastair Benn. The sound engineer is Gareth Jones.
Image: Theodor Herzl addresses the Sixth Zionist Organisation Congress in Basel, 1903. Credit: World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

Sergey Radchenko on the past, present and future of Sino-Russian relations Aug 30, 2024

Show notes

The tumultuous relationship between Red China and the Soviet Union hints at an uncertain future for the Sino-Russian partnership. Read by Helen Lloyd.
Image: Sino-Soviet propaganda poster. Credit: Album / Alamy Stock Photo

Agnès Poirier on Anna de Noailles, bright star of the Belle Époque Aug 29, 2024

Show notes

Socialite and literary pioneer - Anna de Noailles was a bright star in the firmament of the Parisian Belle Époque. Read by Sebastian Brown.
Image: De László's portrait of Anna de Noailles. Credit: Svintage Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

Munira Mirza on how the British elite lost its way Aug 23, 2024

Show notes

Stagnation at home and turmoil abroad demand a radical rethink of how – and why – Britain forges its future leaders. Read by Helen Lloyd.
Image: The Treasury building in Whitehall, London. Credit: mauritius images GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo

What the Romans found funny with Orlando Gibbs Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

EI's Alastair Benn sits down with Orlando Gibbs to discuss what the Romans found funny, what we might find not so funny about ancient humour, and whether there is something universal about the comedic genre.
READING LIST
No Laughing Matter? What the Romans Found Funny | Antigone
Plautus punching up: a different class of comedy | Engelsberg Ideas
Mary Beard, Laughter in Ancient Rome: On Joking, Tickling, and Cracking Up (University of California Press, 2014)
Lionel Abel, Metatheatre: A New View of Dramatic Form (New York, Hill and Wang, 1963)
Engelsberg Ideas is funded by the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit. EI Talks... is hosted by Paul Lay and Alastair Benn. The sound engineer is Gareth Jones.
Image: Michael Palin in Monty Python's Life of Brian. Credit: LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy Stock Photo

Ali Ansari on the secret to Cyrus the Great’s success Aug 16, 2024

Show notes

Few ancient monarchs have enjoyed such a consistent positive reputation as Cyrus the Great. Perhaps it’s time to become reacquainted. Read by Helen Lloyd.
Image: The Tomb of Cyrus, Iran. Photograph taken in 1898. Credit: Penta Springs Limited / Alamy Stock Photo

Andrew Wilton on Amanda McKittrick Ros, the Florence Foster Jenkins of the romantic novel Aug 15, 2024

Show notes

Andrew Wilton profiles Amanda McKittrick Ros, a late Victorian novelist admired in her day but now largely forgotten. Read by Sebastian Brown.
Image: A typical late Victorian scene. Credit: Dave Rheaume / Alamy Stock Photo

Lucy Ward on the invention of Catherine the Great Aug 09, 2024

Show notes

Catherine II’s inoculation against smallpox was an extraordinary act of political self-creation. Read by Helen Lloyd.
Image: A portrait of Catherine the Great (1729-1796) by Alexey Antropov. Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

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